An artist in Japan, Akihiro Mizuuchi, created candy molds that replicate the popular building blocks. While this is by no means the first attempt at creating chocolate Lego blocks, this is the most successful we’ve seen.
And the best news? You can eat them!
There’s no real science behind knowing when to buy generic or store-brand foods, and when to stick to your favorite (and probably more expensive) name brand. But we all know that you’ll do your grocery bill a serious favor when you shun labels. Think of it this way: name brand foods are subsidizing their own marketing, so you’re often paying for more than what will end up on your plate.
Over the years and with countless taste tests, I’ve compiled my own list of when to buy brand and when to buy the item at the bottom of the shelf with the lowest price tag.
When Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of public radio show The Splendid Table, gives advice, I listen. This goes double if the owner of that mellifluous voice is standing right next to you, doling out knowledge with so much enthusiasm you’d be daft not to start taking notes.
This past week, I attended a farm-to-table event hosted by Muir Glen Organics with Lynne and a handful of other food writers and tomato lovers from around the country. Amidst the tastings, the harvest tours, and all the other activities, Lynne dropped this little bombshell of tomato advice that I felt needed to be shared immediately: guys, we don’t always have to peel and seed our tomatoes.
4.38 / 5 Stars | 73 Reviews
by JENINE7
“A refreshing, light frozen citrus sorbet. Easy to make and fat free.”
If you only drink tomato juice while at 30,000 feet, you’re not alone. Turns out there’s a scientific reason why tomato juice tastes better on a plane.
Tomatoes grow all over the world, and they play important roles in the cuisines of many cultures (Italia, anyone?). But down in Dixie, we do summer’s favorite fruit right (yep, tomatoes are a fruit). In fact, I’m gonna argue that we do them better than most. Proving this point was a mere few swift keystrokes for my food-writer friend and big time food-appreciator, Jennifer Kornegay. This Alabama gal means it, folks. Here’s her case for the American South’s dominance of delicious tomato dishes. From the humble to the hearty, consider the evidence.
Sweet, blistered tomatoes and fresh basil are, without a doubt, the stars of this budget-friendly dinner! But the chicken doesn’t hurt either. With just five ingredients and about half an hour, you can be feasting on crispy-skinned, tender chicken piled high with beautiful tomatoes and herbs. This is a simple summer dinner, the best kind.
It’s been a little quiet around here this week and I bet you already know why: moving out is the easy part! Moving in, hoo boy. You walk into an empty new home with freshly painted walls and there’s nothing but possibility. You run from room to room, whee! Then your stuff arrives and the pristine landscape is forever compromised. The first boxes aren’t so bad: you prioritize bedding, toilet paper, toothbrushes and whiskey (um, just play along here.) The next few boxes are pretty doable too: glasses go where they always have, books go in bookcases and lamps go on tables. But then, eventually, you get down to the last six boxes and you look around and you realize that the closets, cabinets, dressers and shelves are all full so where does this go? Then, if you’re us, the great unraveling begins: how did we get to a place where we had so much stuff? I thought we were going to resist the siren call of consumption (says she who just purchased what can only be considered a luxury ice cube tray). How did I get to a place in my life where I had 125 cookie cutters, 9 shades of sanding sugar and cupcake wrappers in at least 7 patterns that I can neither bring myself to throw away or justify the space they will take up? The last 6 boxes take forever to unpack; you’ll be glad you prioritized the whiskey.
So, right on top of all of this, something else happened: my husband — who has the audacity to look younger and more handsome every year — turned 40. If you heard me freaking out (just a little) over our move being delayed a week, it was because the one thing we were trying to avoid was having people over for drinks and then going out to engage in vodka encased in ice blocks and tableside-prepped chopped liver but 24 hours after moving, which is exactly what happened, and of course, it was no big deal and, if anything, forced us to make quick work of the first half of the boxes. Happy birthday, baby: don’t you feel young after a few days of moving furniture around and schlepping boxes?
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